Generation
by TheTilly
Summary: A story about Sephiroth's offspring that even he does not know about. One child is born and might change the future for better or worse. NOT a OCSeph fic! Rating may change
1. Chapter 1

**_Author Notes: This is my very first Final Fantasy fanfiction, but certainly not even close to my first fanfic. I hope you enjoy the first chapter and I shall update as soon as I can with a second one._**

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy ANYTHING. I merely own Shin and his mother._**

**_Summary: A story about Sephiroth's offspring that even he does not know about. ( NOT a OC/Seph fic! )_**

**Generation**

When I was very little, I remember my momma telling me a fairytale. It was about a man that was strong enough to split mountains, yet gentle enough to cradle a baby. He was sharper than the edge of a sword, yet healed the wounds of the sick. He was the greatest warrior that had ever walked the planet and a hero in the eyes of everyone around him.

After many years of helping people and saving them, the man went to a little village. There, he discovered many things about his past that were very bad. The man became very angry with the people who did the bad things to him. The anger became hate and the hate became an obsession. Soon, the hatred he had became so big, that he began to hate everyone.

He destroyed that little village… and everyone in it. He started to destroy everything he was close to in search of his obsession. He was finally stopped by a man who had lost everything in that little village.

And the world found peace at last.

Momma always said that fairytales were nothing more than truth hidden to entertain children. I always wondered if that meant… the fallen hero from her fairytale… really lived.

And if he lived… where was he now?

"Shin!" called a woman's voice. She stood with her body against the door frame of her house as her eyes scanned the area. "SHIN!"

She wrapped her arms around herself and shook her head. "Where is that boy?" she mumbled under her breath. The pot on the stove whistled loudly.

A boy about the age of 10 popped out of the bushes. His shirt was two-sizes too big for him and covered in dirty stains from a hard day playing in the fields. His slender arm went into the air and waved frantically to gain the woman's attention.

"Here I am momma!" he began sprinting to the house, clutching his unused arm to his stomach. He skidded to a stop in front of his mother, panting at his exertion.

"You're five minutes later mister!" She scorned, flipping a finger over his shoulder. "Your clothes are filthy, so is your beautiful silver hair… and what is that in your hand?'

He proudly presented a large toad to her, which would have made most mothers shriek their head's off. However, unlike most mothers, she had a child that showed her such creatures at least four times a day. She only rolled her eyes and pointed to the bushes by the house.

This action caused the child in question to pout. "But momma…" he whined.

"No, we are not keeping a toad in the house for the last time," she said, clearly having been over this argument many times before. "No creatures other than the filthy one you have made yourself into, can step into this house."

His big green eyes began to water up. "Can't I just keep him in a pot outside then?"

"And let the poor creature starve? I think not," she said, turning the boy about face and giving him a little push. "You march yourself over there and give it, its freedom."

"But I promise to feed him!" he complained, digging his heels into the dirt in order to stop his pushing mother. "Please?"

She gave him a harder shove and wagged a finger at him. "When I say no, that means no Shin."

"But if I promise to feed him and take care of him…" he begged, holding the squirming toad to his chest. "Pretty please Momma? Can I please, please keep him?"

She took a deep breath and vaguely wondered how long he would continue to fight her on this subject. He has been known to keep fighting like this for hours and dinner was done and almost burning…

"Put him in the flower pot by the door and we'll talk about this later," she said, walking towards the house.

"But when you say 'talk later' it always means, you'll just say no!" He stood firmly and held the toad in a protective way.

She eyed him warily and put two fingers to the bridge of her nose. She rubbed the spot there and knew she would gain a headache soon from this. "Alright… alright, alright, alright…" taking a deep breath only to sigh she said, "you can keep it."

"He has a name…" he mumbled.

"Don't push it," she warned. "Put 'him' under the pot for now, and get cleaned up. Dinner is done. We'll find a place for him after."

She walked back inside the house; sure he was going to do what she asked now that he won his prize. She shook her head and took the lid off the rice for supper.

"He's too much like his Father sometimes…" she mumbled, gathering the plates for dinner.

**...In Midgar...**

"Thanks Tifa," Cloud said softly as she handed him his repaired shirt. He took it gently from her hands as though it were a child and placed the folded material into his lap. He was too embarrassed to put it on right away and didn't want her to see him struggle with it. That would only make her want to help and he wasn't sure if he could bare it.

She placed her hands on her hips and tilted her head to the side with a smile. "What are friends for?"

He nodded and attempted to return her kind gesture.

It was almost painful for Tifa to watch Cloud sometimes. He would attempt smiles or laughs in order to make the children understand that they made him happy. His true smiles were rare and usually hidden from view. But when he turned around, you could see it in his eyes that he was truly happy.

She sighed as the conversation had died rather quickly between them. "I'm going to get something for dinner tonight. Don't forget that you have a job to do tomorrow."

"I won't," he answered, self-conscious to be sitting in front of Tifa without a shirt on. His head was bowed again.

She flashed him a smile he didn't need to see to know it was there, before descending down the stairs.

He took a deep breath and turned his head to the window. He could hardly believe what had happened only a week ago. The massive damage still left behind by the Chaos falling from the sky was enough for sense to tell him it wasn't just a nightmare. The repairs to the building would take years to do, at the very least.

The sky was no longer black with lightening filling it, as it was a week ago. It was bright blue with scattered clouds in it that made the day seem lighter and peaceful. The people below moved with the tide and seemed to have moved on from the horror. They changed as fast as the weather sometimes.

Cloud stood up, placing his shirt over his head, and winced. He let out a hiss as his injured shoulder pinched in pain. He slowed his movements, trying to ease the shirt over his arm. He inched it up his arm and slowly placed his other arm in. Any pressure against his wound would result some pain.

When he was finally finished with his task, he took a deep breath. He almost forgot how difficult recovery could be. The simplest things hurt him now and it made him frustrated with himself.

He glanced out the window and saw condensation on it. He walked towards the window and sat down on the sill. He leaned his head down onto the cool glass panel. It felt good against his forehead and he closed his eyes for a few seconds.

He took another deep breath, knowing his memories were popping up on him again.

Sephiroth appeared only a week ago. He came back and was killed in the same day. In the little amount of time he was here, Chaos was not only the name of the beast. It was also a good word to describe Cloud's mindset lately.

He seemed so real to Cloud. He was just the way he had been, two years before he appeared again. He still held the same vendetta against the world and everything in it. He wasn't the Sephiroth Cloud had looked up to... he would never be that person again...

Cloud banged his head against the panel, almost afraid he would break it. He pulled away, his thoughts cleared by his slight pain in his forehead from hitting his head. He stepped away from the window and gingerly rubbed his wounded shoulder.

_I will... never be a memory..._

"A memory…" Cloud closed his eyes again. "Everything to me is only a memory."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two**

"Are you sure you don't want anything to eat for the trip?" Tifa questioned, ready to run inside and grab something for him to pack away on his bike. It would most likely be one of the many sandwiches she often made for the children.

Cloud shook his head. "I won't be long."

Tifa crossed her arms. "It's at least two hours there, not to mention the ride back… plus the time it takes for any side tracks you are so fond of."

He swung his leg over his bike and half-turned to her. He nearly smiled as he remembered the little game they would play before he went on a delivery. "Three hours."

"Four hours, at least," she argued with a smile.

"Three and a half," he replied, placing new goggles over his eyes that one of the children had gifted him with. He liked how they fit on his face, even though they were bigger than his others ones and a shade of red he could live without.

"Alright, if you go fast enough you'll make it in time," Tifa sighed and shook her head. "I'll have supper waiting."

"Thank you," he answered. Without another word he kick started the bike into gear and took off.

Tifa clicked her tongue and smiled as Cloud's bike disappeared into the whirl of dust as he set off on a long journey from the new Midgar. She turned and began walking back to the house they shared with the children. However, she turned and looked over her shoulder at Cloud's dust trail.

"I know you're strong but… that never stops me from worrying about you… Cloud."

**

* * *

...Elsewhere...

* * *

**

The sounds of pots and pans being thoroughly scrubbed under running water echoed in the household. The woman stood at the sink, humming a soft tune as she cleaned the ever piling dishes. She was well aware of the boy Shin was sitting at the kitchen table with his legs kicking to the beat she had set. His head was resting against his arm while he poked at his pet Toad that he had affectionately named 'Hopper'.

"Momma…" he called.

"Yes Shin?" she answered, knowing very well he was going to strike up another debate with her.

"What is the difference between a toad and a frog?" he questioned, looking up at her and nearly missing Hopper's leaping escape from the kitchen table. He leaned forward; grabbing the squirming creature and placing it back in the center of the table.

"Well…" she began, turning off the tap. "A frog is more slender and able to leap very far, very fast. A toad is bigger and built for slower travel."

He poked at Hopper again, earning him a distinctively irritated croak. "But don't both of them hop?"

"Yes, they both do." She wiped her hands off on a towel, and sat down at the table, causing Hopper to change his escape plan again. "But, a frog is able to go further, much faster than a toad. Frogs can leap up trees, over logs, and are smaller. They are able to do much more than toads because they are faster."

Shin rolled his head onto his other arm, placing his now unused arm on edge to prevent Hopper from leaping off. "So… frogs are better than toads?"

She put a finger to her chin. "You can't compare two things together unless they are the same species. Toads will live longer than a frog, but the question is… will they do as much? How can only choose quantity or quality I wonder?"

Shin looked up from his pet to his mom. He had a feeling that his mother was now trying to give him a lesson on life, rather than on the differences between toads and frogs. He always had an indisputable sensation that his mother would sneak hidden meanings into every conversation they had when he wasn't prepared for it.

He was about to question what she meant when Hopper did as his namesake said, and accomplished a dashing leap over Shin's arm, off the table and nearly out the door. Shin scrambled from his seat after his escaping pet and left his Mother, whom was sporting a very amused smile on her face.

"And those who dwell too much on words will lose sight of the pictures."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Motorcycles have always been made for high speed. They are built for the sole purpose of speed, which is no surprise if one were to see the design. They are sleek, compact, and state of the art with no room for flaws. One that can carry a few objects or lots of weight while maintaining high speeds is a very rare find indeed.

So, one could imagine if you were ambushed by a group of three Mako-induced monsters that caused you to crash such an expansive bike, you would be rightly angry. At least, Cloud thought so.

"Damn little beasts," Cloud hissed, watching steam rise from his wounded bike. He glared down the monsters, feeling his happy mood with Tifa was very far away.

The grotesque monsters that were shaped like tigers, prowled around their prey. Their bodies built for fast speeds, but their bulky muscles slowing them down to give way to the impressive strength it gave. Their sharps fangs glistening in the sun and low growls were chorused between them. It seemed as though they were trying to intimidate their prey, but fell a far cry from it with Cloud.

Cloud pulled out his sword, gripping it with both hands, and waited in a basic fighting stance for them to attack. His eyes were narrowed and his muscles felt the rush of adrenaline that always came to him in battle. His senses were alive with the thrill of fighting and even the ache in his shoulder reduced to nothing more than ashes of the former pain.

His whole body was ready for an attack and when one finally did, it leapt at him with its claws and teeth bared. Cloud moved without a thought ever crossing his mind as he did a quick cross-slash which instantly destroyed the monster.

If he expected this to make the other two back off, he was very wrong as their snarls became fiercer and louder. He watched as they circled. One was going clockwise, the other, counter. They were watching for weakness in their prey, for any shaky limb or hindered joint.

Cloud waited patiently for the attack, knowing it was going to come soon. He heard the 'thump' of paws pushing against the ground with power. He spun on his heel and sliced upwards with his sword, cutting the beast from navel to throat.

The last one, in a fury, attacked Cloud's back. Cloud ducked under the leaping cat-like beast and it flew over his head. It did not waste time in trying to recover; only pounced after Cloud once again.

Cloud held fast onto his blade and thrust it forward, catching the beast right between the eyes when it turned to attack. It quickly vanished in a fury, its eyes still wide in shock.

He glanced around; making sure no other beast was around to attack before securing his sword back into its sheath, before moving on. He rubbed tenderly at his shoulder, the adrenaline still too fresh in his veins to feel the burn that was soon take over. He rotated his shoulder as he walked over to the crippled bike and shook his head in despair.

He was never going to make it back in time for dinner.

* * *

Shin loved to explore. It was his favorite game after all. There wasn't much to do when one lived on the outer section of a small village. The expanded field and occasional thick shrubbery offered the only places that Shin liked to explore. Every day he would go a little further than the last day, even if it was by a single footstep. He marked it as such with an old broom stick his mother had asked him to throw away when all the bristles fell out.

He patted his pocket which was the travel home of Hopper the toad. For some reason, having another thing with him, made Shin want to go even further today. He reached the broomstick that he stuck in the ground and held onto it as he turned to look back at his house. It looked as though it were merely the size of his fist from this far away.

He grinned and plucked his home-made marker out of the ground. He turned away from his home and took a step. He glanced back over his shoulder, half-expecting his mother to be standing there ready to bicker on how reckless and dangerous it is to travel too far from home. When she did not show up or he did not hear a word against his actions, so he took another step.

He winced, hearing in his head how his mother would blow her top on how far he is from home. It was unsafe and dangerous in the world, from what his mother had said. She even said real monsters lived out there, in the great field beyond their land.

Shin sucked his bottom lick in and chewed worriedly on it as he glanced back towards his house. It was still in prefect view. He would move a little further. It wouldn't hurt. He was sure of it. As long as he knew how to get back, he was safe.

He took another step, and another. He was now, four whole steps further than he has ever been before in his life! He was exploring unmarked land and all he could think about was how worried his mother must be of him.

He licked his lips, and took one more step, just to round his record up. One more step wouldn't hurt at all. He was sure of it. He has come this far, why not go the distance? He lifted his foot to take one more step when he heard a noise. He gasped and held onto his broom stick, wildly looking around for the source of this noise.

The noise happened again and it took Shin a moment to realize that it was only Hopper, croaking from inside his pocket. Shin let out a breath and let all of his muscles relax for a moment. He could still feel his heart pounding in his chest and his mouth felt very dry.

Shin looked at his broomstick and wondered if he could go any further. After that little scare, he felt hesitant to take another step but would also feel like a coward if he gave up so soon as he had just started to get the momentum going. It was a hard choice for him to make and he felt slightly torn about it.

He gripped his broomstick and frowned. He could do this. He knew he could. It was only a few more steps until he reached ten. That would be the most steps he had ever taken in a single day! It was a record and it being so far from his house… he was sure his mother would be proud of him for being so brave.

He nodded as though he just finished a conversation with the stick. He took a breath and with it, another step. That was six steps.

He took one more. _Seven_.

Another one. _Eight_.

Only two more. That's all he needed before he could go home and tell his mother how far he had gotten by himself! Of course, he did it with Hopper, but a toad really isn't much help when one's nerves are concerned.

He braced himself as his next two steps would bring him to enter a small group of thick undergrowth. He took another step, passing the bush near him and without thinking, took a few more steps to get away from the prickly bush. He did not notice what he was doing until he found himself on the other side of the foliage, and staring at the end of a sword.

Shin stopped dead in his tracks, staring in blunt horror at the end of the sharp blade, before it was quickly removed from his vision. He looked up and a man, whom Shin had never seen before, wearing almost all black, stared down at him.

Shin took a step away from the stranger, feeling an overwhelming sense to run away from this man, yet something stopped him. He watched as the man fumbled with a simple apology for pointing the blade at him and made eye contact only a few times. It seemed the man was embarrassed.

Shin had never seen such a man before and soon, curiosity took over whatever fear he had.

"Who are _you_?" Shin asked, interrupting the man.

He took it without complainant and stated, "Cloud. And you?"

"Shin," he answered quickly and began to ramble on with questions, "Where are you from? Do you live in a city? How did you get here? What do you travel on? Is that your sword?"

Cloud held up his hands, trying to get the kid to stop. He found it, in lack of a better word 'cute', how Shin's eyes lit up when curiosity took over him. "I live in Midgar city. I got here by my bike and yes, it's my sword."

"Wow…" Shin said, gapping up at him. "You must fight monsters like my Mom told me about."

"Sometimes," Cloud answered, walking back to his bike. "But for right now, I need to get going."

Shin ran up and walked beside him, still holding his broom stick. "Hey, can I ride that bike with you? Do you think my mom would let me? How fast can you go on it?"

Cloud picked up his bike and was about to answer the questions when he heard a dripping sound. He glanced under the bike and saw a black puddle beginning to form under it. He frowned at it.

"What's that stuff?" Shin asked, reaching down and sticking a finger into the substance without second-thought. "It feels sticky and warm."

"That would be my oil," Cloud said with a sigh. He glanced at Shin, who looked completely lost. "That means I can't go anywhere on this bike until my tank is fixed."

"So… you're stuck here?" Shin ventured, already having something in mind.

Cloud glanced down at the boy. "I guess so."

Shin's face lit up. "Then you can stay here until it's fixed!"

Cloud was about to protest to such actions, when Shin grabbed his hand, and started pulling towards the bushes he has come from.

"I'm sure Mom wouldn't mind! She always says we need more company," he argued and kept pulling Cloud towards his house.

Cloud gave in and let himself be dragged away into the bushes. He knew that at the very least, Shin's mother would know where the nearest village is. And if so, he could easily find someone to repair his bike, phone Tifa about his accident all the while, keeping the kid happy.

What could go wrong?


	4. Chapter 4

Before you begin, I would like to thank the reviewers of my story. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to write a few words that mean the world to me. Thank you.

**Chapter Four**

"And this one!" Shin said, proudly producing another all-too colorful toy into Cloud's face. He beamed up at him with admiration while waiting for an awestruck comment.

Cloud held up his head and took the toy, flipping it this way and that. It was shaped like a horse with wheels instead of hooves and a draw string attached to its mouth. The wheels were bright red and the horse was a strange yellowish-brown that could not be properly described.

While examining the toy, Cloud began to wonder if he ever had something like this in his childhood. Did his mother carve things from wood for his toys? Did the village even have a toy shop where she could buy such things? Even if she could buy them, did they have the money for them?

It was such questions that passed through his mind that made Cloud wonder just when he would regain all of his memories. Well, perhaps 'regain' wasn't the correct word for his case. It was more like, too many memories jammed into one mind that could not sort out which ones were true and which ones were false.

Cloud felt a small shiver go down his back.

Shin rocked on his heels, his smile dropping a little when he did not receive outright praise for having such a toy in his possession. The only response he got was a raised eyebrow and a stifled laugh from his mother. Cloud seemed to have been turned to stone.

Shin pouted. "Don't you think it's neat?"

Cloud snapped out of his trance and looked down at Shin as though it were the first time seeing him. He hesitated before finally saying, "Yeah… it is."

Despite the lack of enthusiasm from him, Shin widely grinned. "I know! My mom carved that by herself and I got it when I was three, right mom?"

He turned to her and she nodded while smiling pleasantly. Her eyes sparkled with amusement that threatened to burst out at any moment. She crossed her arms and leaned against the kitchen counter. "Why don't you show him the one you got for your last birthday?"

His eyes lit up even more, if that were even possible. "Oh yeah!" He exclaimed, "It's better than the baby stuff!"

He turned on his heel to face Cloud. "I'll be right back!" and with that, he sprinted out of the room, leaving the toy he wanted praise for behind. They could hear his pace as he ran up the stairs. His voice echoed back and it was sure to be something along the lines of 'You'll love it'.

Cloud awkwardly placed the horse-toy back on the table, which was almost filled with other toys that Shin explained that Cloud had to know about. He scooted the toy away from him and sat back in the chair.

He looked up when a cup of tea was placed in front of him.

"He can wear out the best of us," she said kindly, patting his shoulder.

Cloud attempted a smile, failing rather short of achieving it. He gave up and looked back down at his tea, watching the steam roll of the top.

"Not to be rude, but I am glad your son is distracted for the moment," Cloud quietly spoke, unsure if he would be seen as cruel for such words. He knew he would not be seen in such a light when Shin's mother giggled behind her hand.

"Not at all," she began with a smile. "If you are rude for that than I must be quite the evil doer for this."

Cloud glanced up to question what she meant, when she leaned into the sink and pulled out a toy. It was clearly a new model airplane that was a hot item among children last year. Only a very select few families were rich enough to afford such a thing and clearly it would be the toy Shin was looking for…

"You hid it." Cloud stated more than questioned.

Her smile widened. "Guilty."

Cloud shook his head in mirth. He felt the corners of his lips twitch upwards as he took a sip from his tea.

Shin's mother sat across from Cloud and cradled her own cup in her hands. "I feel as though it has been ages since I have spoken to another adult. I love my child but one cannot live without full conversations between adults."

Cloud wasn't sure he agreed with her statement, but decided not to engage in an argument. Instead, he sipped his tea once again and hoped she would change the subject.

"I take it from your clothing that you are from a city, not a town," She began, sighing vaguely into her cup. "I wonder what the city has turned into… these last few years have been the most straining ones to the planet."

The conversation drifted into a comfortable silence for a few moments. The only real sounds were a ticking clock from the living room and the distant echo of toys being tossed around in a frantic search.

Cloud took this opportunity to get a better look at his hostess. He glanced up from his cup to take in a few details. She was older than him. Perhaps by seven or eight years at the very most. Gentle wrinkles had begun to form around her eyes and deep laugh lines gave her an uplifting appearance. Her eyes were harder to make out, since she was looking away from him, out the window. But, he guessed they were brown… maybe a lighter version of her dark hair?

She smiled, the wrinkles forming deeper and without looking his way said, "If you want to stare, please don't be shy about it. I'm much too old to take offence and yet young enough to be flattered."

Cloud almost found it in himself to blush. Instead, he evaded his eyes from her stare when she turned to him. Even though he could not see it, he knew she her smile had increased.

"Mom!" Shin called from the top of the stairs. "I can't_ find_ it!"

"Check the play room!" She called back, without missing a beat. Shin's footsteps retreated back into the top rooms for more searching.

"Thank you for letting me borrow your phone…" Cloud thumbed the rim of his cup, circling it. "I suppose my friends will get here soon…"

"I suppose they will," she countered.

His eyes came back up to lock with hers. He had a very distinct feeling in his gut that told him that she acted in a very familiar way. He wondered, if he had met this woman before… and if he had, was it him or Zack that her words struck such a cord with?

"Mabel," she said.

Cloud blinked. Her smile told him his look of confusion was amusing. "What?"

"That's my name. Mabel," she said again.

"Oh…" Cloud replied, not sure where the conversation was going. She already knew his name so it wasn't like he could reply properly to her. Instead of commenting on her name, he scanned his brain for something else to chat about. The fact that Shin was currently looking for a very expensive toy that would destroy most parents' pocket books, sounded like a good place to start.

"What do you do?"

This time, Mabel looked confused. "Excuse me?"

"For a living… your job," he shrugged. "It just seems you would be in the right business to have such a large collection." He waved a hand over the pile of toys that littered the table.

"Oh," she said with a laugh. "It isn't what I do, but what I have done."

"What have you done?" Cloud asked without thinking.

Her eyes glittered with mischievously. "Maybe that is conversation for another time."

He wondered vaguely if he just stepped into unmarked territory. In order to fix it, he asked, "Well, what about your husband?"

"I have none to speak of," she answered with a sigh. It could have been boredom but Cloud could hear the hint of regret. "I would have liked to marry someone but… it never seemed the proper time or the proper person… and after Shin was born, I couldn't see myself being with anyone but his father. I guess I am stuck in age-old tradition."

Cloud felt a nagging curiosity bug bit at him, but he squashed it down rather quickly. It was not his right to pry into another person's life. If she wished to tell him, she would. If she didn't she wouldn't. He almost ended his conclusion with a nod of the head.

"Shin doesn't look a lot like you…" Cloud traveled.

Mabel's eyes turned to the window again. "He looks very much like his father. In a few years, he'll begin to have sharper features like him and maybe his voice will sound more like him… I don't know. He may look exactly like his father, but he acts nothing like him."

"Do you have a picture of his father?" Cloud questioned. He couldn't help but feel a pull to this family. It was as if he… well… he didn't really know what_ it_ was, but he certainly hadn't felt this way in a very long time.

Mabel shook her head with a smile. "He hated his picture to be taken."

"What was his name? Shin's father?" Cloud questioned. He was sure the child seemed familiar. Almost chillingly so.

Before she could answer his question, there was a knock on the door. She smiled at him.

"I believe your friends have found you Cloud."


	5. Chapter 5

I'm so sorry this took so long to get out. I have had this chapter almost complete for the past nine months. However, it was lost on a disc as I was trying to transfer all my files onto my new computer. I had just found the file today and uploaded it after doing a quick once-over it. I hope you all with forgive me!

**Generation**

**Chapter Five**

"Yer damn oil line was tore ta shreds!" Cid explained, though it was slightly muffled by the cigarette in his mouth. He frowned down at it, trying to make repairs. He tried to set a finger against the motor but pulled away quickly swearing, "Ya damn near shot the motor with all yer fast driving over this rocky terrain. What the hell were ya thinkin'?"

Cid began to nurse his burned finger, sucking on it to cool the skin. He pulled his finger out and glared at Cloud while mumbling, "Damn right idiot… Over my dead body will ya ever steer a ship of mine-"

"I'm glad you're safe," Tifa said with a soft smile at him as she cut off Cid's rant. She had, by some miracle, dragged Cid away from his current project of babying his newest ship to help her get Cloud.

Cloud put a hand to the back of his head to scratch at his neck while he kept his eyes downward. He did not feel his age at the moment and was deeply embarrassed at having to call his friends to come pick him up.

"So, what the hell cut yer line?" Cid questioned, standing up.

Cloud frowned. "I guess the monsters that attacked me but they didn't seem to strike that close to my bike…"

Cid shrugged. "Maybe ya didn't see 'em get close but some kinda sharp object cut yer line, that's fer sure. And a damn clean cut too."

Tifa looked over at Cid with concern. "You don't think a monster could cut a line cleanly, do you?"

Cid put his hands on his hips. "Well, what the hell do ya think cut the line?"

"Er..." Tifa began, frowning in concentraition. "I don't know..."

"Any bright ideas?" Cid asked, looking pointly at Cloud.

Cloud shook his head. "None. But I'm with Tifa."

"And what makes ya two the damn experts 'round 'ere?" Cid questioned, taking another puff from his cigarette.

"You just said, the line was a clean cut," Tifa pointed out. "Only sharp knives do that."

Cloud turned to her. "You think someone tried to sabatage my bike?"

"I think know... just a theory," Tifa answered, while Cid rolled his eyes. "Anyone else have any better ideas?"

"Hmm," was Cloud's reply.

"Well, if you two don't mind, I want to personally thank that nice woman for letting you use her phone," Tifa said aggitated on not being taken seriously, already starting her way back to the house. She waved a hand. "And I think you should too Cloud."

He could only nod in agreement, following her back.

Cid frowned at their retreating backs, wondering if he should make an appearance as well. It wasn't exactly like he owed this woman anything, since it wasn't his ass that was saved. She also was no help in fixing up the bike that would now be in his care until the line was replaced. So, he saw no real reason for him to go to the house along with those two. No reason at all…

"-and maybe we can get some more tea," Tifa chatted with Cloud. "She makes a very good brew… do you think I should ask where she gets it from?"

Cid's ears perked like a dog hearing its master's call. He quickly dashed away from the fallen bike with a call of, "Hey! Wait up fer me".

When the trio arrived back at the house, Shin was leaning against the side with is head bowed. He kicked the dirt in front of him in a distracted way as his pet toad, whom was only a few inches away, gave an indignant croak. He quickly got out of his master's range within a few hops and found a decent bit of shade under Mabel's flowerbed.

"Hi Shin," Cloud greeted the child.

Shin snorted, looking away from him. Other than that, he gave no indication he had even heard Cloud.

Tifa nudged Cloud with her elbow, giving him a hard look before turning to Cid. "I think we should go ahead."

Cid, who was completely oblivious to what had just happened (probably concentrating so much on the tea) that he agreed without further complaint.

Cloud waited until his friend's footsteps drifted away, before moving closer to Shin. He tried to lay a hand on his shoulder, but Shin shrugged it off, turning his head to the side.

Cloud couldn't understand why the boy, who seemed to worship him only a few minutes ago, was now acting like this.

"Just... go..." Shin mumbled.

"Shin, whatever I did, I'm sorry-"

"NO! Just go!" Shin shouted without even turning to look at him. In a quiter tone he said, "Go and leave like everyone else."

Before Cloud could reach for him, Shin took off running towards the shrubs on the edge of the yard. Cloud shouted after him, before quickly taking chase. Just before Shin reached the cover of the bushes, Cloud scooped him up. Shin wiggled and tried to fight his way out of his hold, but was no match for the older man's strength.

He gave up and just began to cry quietly to himself. Cloud lowered him so he could stand on his own and turned him around.

"Now, what's this about me leaving?" Cloud questioned, wiping a tear from Shin's cheek. "Who said I was going forever?"

"But... but" Shin sobbed trying to explain his logic. "Everyone does... my uncle, my dad, my grandma... my friends..."

Cloud could understand the boy's concern more than anyone else. He had once had a whole village of people he cared about. Sure, some of the boys had teased him for being smaller or not as strong, but it was also better than being alone. He had Tifa to talk to, and that made a world of difference for him.

Cloud gave a meek little smile, trying to reasure the younger boy. "I'm not going forever. I'll be back."

Shin wiped his nose on the back of his shirt sleeve. "Really?"

"Really," Cloud said with a nod.

"Really, really?" he muttered through his arm, which he was cleaning his face with.

"Really, Really," Cloud said, almost rolling his eyes at the child. He patted the boy's back. "Now, let's go back inside. I'm sure your mother is concerned."

Shin gave a nod, wiping his nose against his sleeve, and headed back to the house with Cloud.


End file.
